A storm 1932

René Magritte made this painting, A Storm, with oil on canvas, and well, it's a trip! The stark contrast between the heavy, almost imposing architectural shapes and the fluffy, buoyant clouds is so bizarre it's brilliant. Magritte’s handling of paint here is so smooth; these monolithic forms have a matte finish. The clouds, though, they're like daubs of soft watercolor, barely there, fleeting moments captured in a storm of the mind. Look how he places the clouds, almost as if they're physically interacting with the blocks. This is what I think of as the physical and the ephemeral—concrete structures against the changeable sky. It's like a stage set for a play about perception. The piece reminds me of de Chirico, but with more humour! It is a strange, quiet joke about what is real.